My Lectures on Chagall

*Chagall and The Bible

From his earliest years in Vitebsk, Belarus, Chagall was fascinated by the Bible.  The lecture covers twelve major paintings from Genesis and Exodus, and the Song of Songs paintings inspired by his second wife, Vava Chagall on permanent display at the Chagall Biblical Message Museum in France, as well as the stained glass windows of The Creation of the Earth, the famous harpsichord painting of Rebecca and Isaac, the mosaic of the prophet Elijah and a tapestry.

Chagall and the Printed Word

An in-depth examination of letters, books, catalogues, invitations, postcards, newspapers, and magazine articles from the Jacobson private collection.

Chagall and Chicago

A lecture, accompanied by slides and two short documentary films, devoted to the three major Chagall works done for the city of Chicago -- a mosaic, The Four Seasons, at the former First National Bank of Chicago Plaza, the America Windows, and the Job tapestry at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.  Also included in the discussion are the two famous Chagall paintings on display at the Art Institute of Chicago – the White Crucifixion and The Praying Jew.

The Color of Love

A special presentation for children of all ages, using slides and telling stories of Chagall from his childhood in Russia to his life in France.  Featured as part of the lecture are 100 postcards of Chagall’s paintings, which children can handle, as well as a question and answer segment.

My Favorite Top 10 Artworks of Marc Chagall

A power point presentation and lecture of my 10 favorite Chagall artworks and why they are important to me and to the world.

*The Chagall Harpsichord

A lecture and power point presentation on the 18th century French instrument located at the Chagall Biblical Message Museum.  A gift by the American Friends of the Museum, the harpsichord’s inside cover contains a Chagall painting of the love story of Rebecca and Isaac.

*The Jerusalem Windows: The Twelve Tribes of Israel

Among Chagall’s crowning achievements in the media of stained glass are the twelve windows he designed for the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem in 1959-61, with each of the windows representing a tribe of Israel.  Chagall filled them with a dazzling assembly of animal forms, heavenly bodies and other elements symbolic of each tribe.

*The Biblical Windows of St. Stephan Church, Mainz, Germany

This lecture on the windows was first suggested by the parish priest, Klaus Mayer. The windows were designed by Chagall for the apse of the church in 1973 as a sign of love, peace, hope and reconciliation for France and Germany, and for Christians and Jews.  Use of projected images illustrates each section of the windows.  The lecture contains a detailed analysis of the artwork as it coincides with Chagall’s passion for the Bible.

*The Christ Configuration of the Crucifixion and Resurrection in the Artworks of Marc Chagall

This power point presentation will have readings from the New and Old Testaments including the Hebraic interpretation of The Prince of Peace - Jesus and The Prophet of Peace - Isaiah. The messages of Marc Chagall in the lecture are: hope, peace, reconciliation and love. The end of the lecture will be a review of the visuals with Elvis Presley singing Amazing Grace.

Chagall and the Women in His Life

A discussion of the part the women in Chagall’s life played in his becoming one of the greatest artists of the 20th century; his grandmother, mother, six sisters, his two wives, Bella Rosenfield and Vava Brodsky, his companion Virginia Haggard, his daughter Ida and granddaughters, Bella Meyer and Meret Meyer.  The lecture includes slides of paintings influenced by each woman, and also features the writings of Bella and Marc Chagall.

Flowers by Chagall

"Art is the increasing effort to compete with the beauty of flowers - and never succeeding." Such were the words of Marc Chagall. A passion for nature in the form of flowers, trees, birds and animals fill the artworks of Chagall. His love of flowers and his interpretation of these wonders of nature are consistently found in every form of his magnificent creations. This lecture will bring this concept of how Chagall brought his love of flowers to his numerous works of art. Flowers were consistently present in his studio to give him inspiration and for making his artistic ideas become reality. 

*Hope, Peace, Reconciliation and Love: The Messages of Marc Chagall in His Art and Literature.

The lecture is an overview of the artist’s love of writing poetry and prose.  Few people know that Chagall had a pronounced literary ability equal to that of his art.  Included is an introduction to his poetry and prose, and a slide presentation showing the artworks that inspired his writings.

* Lectures contain selected readings from fitting Biblical passages.

For additional information on any of the lectures or to book a lecture and/or a book signing event, contact Vivian Jacobson by email: ravi@pinehurst.net